In North America there is a huge inconsistency in legal protections for children. Where you live may affect the basic required checks and balances to ensure your child is protected from sexual abuse in schools, youth serving organizations and other ‘trusted’ clubs and associations.
Over the course of 2019 Child Safety Pledge will be using data science and visualization to build out a robust and clear system for you to understand local policies and where your representatives stand on the issues affecting children.
There are four areas of law that affect the ability for a strong safety net for children. This includes;
According to the Sean P McIlmail Statute of Limitations Research Institute at Child USA the average lifetime cost of child maltreatment is $830,929 per survivor. This includes: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse (psychologic abuse), and neglect. The institute notes that toxic stress and trauma associated with childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are even higher for CSA victims than those who experience other forms of child maltreatment.
*M. Merricka, et. al, Unpacking the impact of adverse childhood experiences on adult mental health, Child Abuse Negl. (2017); Angelakis I, Gillespie EL, Panagioti M, Childhood maltreatment and adult suicidality: a comprehensive systematic review with meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine 1–22 (2019); Gail Hornot, Childhood Trauma Exposure & Toxic Stress: What the PNP Needs to Know, J. Pediatric Healthcare (2015); Perryman Group, Suffer the Little Children: An Assessment of the Economic Cost of Child Maltreatment (2014)